President Donald Trump has issued "Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Market," an executive order (EO) that calls on the U.S. Attorney General and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce competition laws...more
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission announced its final “Junk Fees Rule” (the “Rule”) that bans “mystery” or “junk fees” for live event tickets, hotels, and short-term rentals....more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finalized its long-anticipated Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (Final Rule), targeting hidden mandatory fees and ensuring transparent pricing disclosures to consumers. Unlike the Notice...more
The Federal Trade Commission has issued a long-anticipated final Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (the Rule), colloquially known as the “Junk Fees” Rule, targeting mandatory hidden fees and ensuring transparent pricing...more
Our Consumer Protection/FTC Team breaks down the Federal Trade Commission’s final rule regulating live-event ticket and hotel pricing practices....more
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that Illinois has joined an $82.5 million proposed antitrust settlement with Varsity Brands (Varsity). As a result, Illinois consumers who paid to participate in Varsity Brands’...more
On June 30, 2024, the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia filed an action against an online ticket exchange and resale website alleging violations of the District of Columbia’s Consumer...more
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has granted a limited appeal in Pittsburgh’s challenge to a Pennsylvania court ruling that the city’s tax on visiting athletes and performers is unconstitutional. ...more
Drip pricing, the practice of revealing hidden fees after a consumer has begun the purchasing process, has come under scrutiny. The Federal Trade Commission has labeled it a dark pattern, and California has taken steps to...more
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
Despite certifying the class action in Thompson-Marcial v Ticketmaster Canada LP on the basis of breach of contract, breach of legislation, conspiracy, negligence and unjust enrichment, the Ontario Superior Court declined to...more
In summer 2023, fans of Taylor Swift made international headlines when they took to social media to express their outrage at the ticket-buying experience for “The Eras Tour.” Fans of many artists have expressed their strong...more
A Los Angeles jury has found following a monthlong trial that StubHub owes more than $16 million for breaching its contract with Spotlight Ticket Management, which does business as TicketManager, and interfering in the...more
For more than a decade, companies have benefited immensely from the United States Supreme Court decision of AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion, 563 U.S. 333 (2011), which upheld a company’s right to compel consumers into...more
Beginning in late 2023, plaintiffs have filed dozens of putative class action lawsuits against companies that sell tickets to entertainment venues and events in New York. These suits arise from allegations that companies are...more
In New York, there has been an uptick in class action lawsuits seeking to contest “hidden” ticket fees following online purchases. The New York Arts & Cultural Affairs Law was amended in August 2022, which has prompted dozens...more
Plaintiffs’ counsel have launched a wave of lawsuits against New York venues and ticket platforms, invoking a recently-enacted provision of New York’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Law. According to these lawsuits, these...more
On October 11, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced a proposed rule to prohibit so-called “junk fees” in connection with the sale of consumer goods and services. According to the FTC, the proposal, known as...more
In Oberstein v. Live Nation Ent. Inc. No. 21-56200 (9th Cir. Feb. 13, 2023), the Ninth Circuit addressed the question of whether the arbitration and class action waiver clauses on Ticketmaster’s and Live Nation’s websites...more
In June, New York enacted a ticket transparency law seeking to make sweeping changes to how ticket prices are communicated to consumers and eliminate deceptive ticket pricing practices. The law will go into effect on...more
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill last month that will demand greater transparency from establishments that sell tickets for live events. The new law is set to take effect on August 29, 2022, and will ban hidden fees...more
On Friday, January 22, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission settled charges with three ticket brokers for violating the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, which was passed in 2015. These are the first case brought under...more
Welcome to Three Point Shot, a newsletter brought to you by the Sports Law Group at Proskauer. Three Point Shot brings you the latest in sports law-related news and provides you with links to related materials. We hope you...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced that it will hold a series of public hearings examining whether changes in the economy, evolving business practices, new technologies or international developments might...more